Most of us know that millions of Americans deal with addiction every day and that it can be a lifelong struggle to get and stay clean. What you may not know is that many of the addictions that are present today actually come from prescription drugs known as opioids. While there are a few illegal opioids like heroin and black-market fentanyl, most opioid addictions actually begin with prescription opioid painkillers.
At See Purpose, we’re here to help folks understand their addiction and learn how to get the help they need at a professional rehab center in Indiana. If you’re not sure if a loved one has a problem, it can be difficult to tell without knowing what signs to look for. In this post, we will discuss signs of opioid withdrawal, including symptoms of opioid withdrawal and how to detox from opioids safely. We’ll cover how they affect a person and what withdrawal from them looks like as well.
What Drugs Are Opioids?
Opioids are a type of drug that is derived from the opium poppy. They can be both legal and illegal, depending on their intended use. Prescription opioids like oxycodone and hydrocodone are commonly prescribed for pain relief, while heroin and fentanyl are considered to be illicit opioids.
How Do Opioids Affect a Person?
When someone takes an opioid medication as prescribed by their doctor, it will typically relieve pain and make them feel happy or euphoric. However, over time the person’s body will become used to this feeling and will need more of the drug to achieve the same effect.
This is due to the way that the drug interacts with a person’s body. Opioids work by binding to receptors in the brain and spinal cord that are responsible for pain relief and pleasure. As the body becomes used to this, it will begin to reduce the amount of natural opioids produced, leading to dependence on the drug.
Over time, this dependence requires a person to take more and more of the drug to achieve the desired effect, ultimately leading to addiction.
Do Opioids Cause Withdrawal?
Yes, opioids can cause withdrawal when a person stops taking them suddenly. This is because the body has become dependent on the drug and needs it to function properly. When someone tries to quit cold turkey, they will often experience a number of uncomfortable symptoms as their body goes through withdrawal.
The longer a person uses and the more they use, the more likely they are to go through withdrawal and the more severe the symptoms of withdrawal will be for them, with some of the signs of opioid withdrawal being life-threatening.
What are the Signs of Opioid Withdrawal?
The most common signs of opioid withdrawal include:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Irritability
- Muscle aches
- Fever
- Sweating
- Nausea and vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Abdominal pain
It is important to note that just as each addiction is different, so too are the effects that a person will experience. Besides these common symptoms of withdrawal, more heavy or chronic opioid abusers may also experience:
- Intense cravings for the drug
- Hallucinations
- Delirium
- Paranoia
- Seizures
How to Find Detox for Opioid Abuse
If you or a loved one is struggling with opioid addiction, it’s important to seek professional help as soon as possible. Quitting cold turkey can be dangerous and life-threatening, so it’s best to detox under medical supervision.
At See Purpose, we offer many different programs designed to help people through every step of their journey to recovery. We know that addiction is a disease, and we treat it as such.
Your journey with us begins with an individual evaluation that is aimed at figuring out your unique addiction story and the best way to treat it. We don’t use typical copy and paste treatment strategies here, each person is given their own treatment plan, and we work with them to find the root cause of their addiction and give them the tools to cope with life without drugs.
At our facility, you will find a luxury inpatient rehab clinic that offers medically supervised detox, personalized treatment plans, and aftercare services that are designed to help you once treatment ends.
If you or a loved one is suffering from an opioid addiction, don’t hesitate, call See Purpose today!
